Get your E-Z Pass ready. The New York State Thruway is going completely cashless this weekend, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday. The highway’s 450-mile, ticketed toll system will be converted to electronic collection during the overnight hours Friday into Saturday, Cuomo said. The switch will happen simultaneously at 58 tolling locations, he said. The rest of the Thruway system already stopped accepting cash payments. Cuomo said the Thruway is moving to full cashless tolling more than a month ahead of schedule. He made the conversion a goal in his 2018 State of the State address. Motorists who have E-ZPass device will have tolls charged to them automatically. If they don’t, they will get a bill in the mail.

A wintry weather system is expected to dump up to 10 inches of snow accompanied by winds up to 50 mph across parts of New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday evening. Snow and high winds will likely make travel treacherous through Tuesday morning, Cuomo said. Parts of western and central New York, the Finger Lakes, North Country and Mohawk Valley are expected to see 3 to 7 inches of snow, while some lake-effect snowfall areas of central and northern New York may get up to 10 inches. The National Weather Service has issued winter storm watches and advisories for areas around the state. In the Tug Hill area east of Lake Ontario, a winter storm watch is in effect Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning with snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches possible.

At least three people were critically injured and several others hurt in a school bus crash in New York Wednesday morning., New Windsor Town Police said. It happened just before 8:30 a.m. on Route 207, at Little Britain and Beattie roads, in New Windsor and involved a Little Britain Elementary School bus and a tree trimming truck equipped with a chipper owned by a local landscaping company. There were seven children on the bus all of whom walked off and were brought to the hospital to be seen by medical professionals as per school protocol and good practices, the police said. It’s unclear how students were among those injured, but Assemblyman Colin Schmitt tweeted, “Please say a prayer for the young students involved in a serious bus accident in New Windsor.

MONTICELLO – Calls are being made for an investigation into petitions filed with the Board of Elections by a former judge, in the Sullivan County District Attorney’s race. At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Democratic Party Chairman Steve Vegliante, who was flanked by leaders from the Conservative, Independence and Republican parties announced that a complaint was being filed with the New York State Attorney General’s Pubic Integrity Bureau. “There has been some egregious conduct in the filing of independent petitions in the race for DA by Frank LaBuda,” said Steve Vegliante. “We think there is a clear case for criminal prosecution here”.

R’ Mordechai Samet of Kiryas Joel was released from prison on Erev Rosh Hashanah, after serving 20 of his 27-year sentence. Samet was released under the new “First Step Act” law. R’ Moshe Margaretten of the Tzedek Association who was highly influential in the passing of the law – and in securing his release – was there to greet him. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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The Orange County Health Department visited the main Satmar Shul in Kiryas Joel on Wednesday morning and platstered a “cease and desist order” on the building. Viral photos on social media showed a man hanging up sign up from the Health Commissioner as a NY State Trooper stood nearby. The letter can be read below, but most interesting is what appears to be a veiled threat of “criminal charges” if the social distancing rules are not adhered to.

YWN regrets to inform you of the tragic Petira of Dina Rosenzweig A”H, 19-year-old girl who was R”L killed in a crash in upstate New York on Motzei Shabbos. Dina along with a friend were both critically injured in the crash near Buffalo, NY, and rushed to the hospital. Dina was taken into emergency surgery, but was R”L Niftar on Sunday. Dina lived in Cedarhurst (Five Towns), NY, and is survived by her parents Rabbi Menachem and Devorah Rosenzweig, as well as her siblings (she was one of 12 children). Her family belongs to Chabad of the Five Towns. Please continue to be Mispallel for Esther Perl bas Chanah Devorah who remains in serious condition. Boruch Dayan HaEmmes… (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A search has been launched for a group of Yeshiva Bochrim missing in the Catskills Mountains. The group of around 20 boys from Camp Adas Yereiyim were hiking in the area of Biscuit Brook, located on Frost Valley Road in Claryville, NY, when they went missing. They were last seen with a staff member at around 1:00PM. Other groups from the camp had hiked there today and returned safely. A group of around 40 trained search & rescue volunteers from Rockland Chaveirim were dispatched to the scene to assist the NYS Forest Rangers and Catskills Hatzolah who are mobilizing on the scene. Biscuit Brook is located in the “Big Indian Wilderness” section of Catskill Park. There is no phone service in the entire area.

A 14-year-old boy suffered a serious head injury after a tree fell on him in Woodbourne, Wednesday morning. It happened at the Nitra Camp on Budd Road, when what appeared to be a rotten tree limb fell and struck the boy in the head. Catskills Hatzolah Paramedics arrived and found him unconscious, with a serious head injury. He was airlifted to the Albany Trauma Center where he is listed in serious condition. Please say Tehillim for Menachen Mendel ben Tzirel Shlomtza (שלאמצא). STAY WITH YWN WHATSAPP FOR BREAKING UPDATES IN LIVE TIME!  YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be dded to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Outbreaks of coronavirus in three different Chabad Bungalow colonies in the Catskills have led to a lockdown for at least one of them this week. According to COLlive, cases have been confirmed at Evergreen Estates, Inner Circle, Mei Menuchos, and Mountain Lodge. After being advised by the Gedalia society and Dr. Eli Rosen, the Board at Mountain Lodge have established “modified” guidelines in recognition of our community’s experience. “Anyone who previously tested positive for Covid or tested positive for antibodies does not need to quarantine. However, you should be vigilant and monitor your health. If you feel sick, get tested and isolate. Pay special attention to social distancing,” they advised. Anyone who has not had the virus must quarantine for two weeks.